Distant Hearts
by x.Darth Kate.x
Summary: What happens to the trio of Sora, Riku, & Kairi when someone new comes to Destiny Islands? Distant ties of the past come in to play as Mierielle struggles to understand the 3 friends & uncover the secrets hidden beneath the sands of time. FIRST PERSON POV
1. Faint

My eyes darted from one thing to another, and in a second I had scanned the sparkling blue ocean, the numerous coconut trees, a scattering of smaller islands and a warm, golden sun. This was the type of place I'd always wanted to live in…

Putting my head in my hands, I thought, _Then how come I'm not happy about it?_

I rose from the step I was sitting on, which was located in the front of my new house. It had a strange architectural layout, and I wasn't very fond of it.

Desperate to get away from it all, I went upstairs to change into my favorite outfit, which consisted of tight blue jean shorts and a white T-shirt, wrote my dad a note explaining where I was going, and left the house.

I had passed small shops and many other residences before I reached the uninhabited shoreline. The sand looked inviting, so I slipped off my sandals and walked down towards the ocean.

When I arrived at the water, a strong wind whipped my long, wavy brown hair off my face and my bare legs began to sting with cold. I closed my eyes and just stood there, letting the harsh air take me away from this island, away from this world, back to where I belonged. My old friends, one by one, flashed inside my mind, only increasing my sudden feeling of homesickness…

Evaporation… I felt my body, piece by piece leaving the world behind…my spirit, bit by bit dwindling away into the air…

I was falling…opening my eyes, the last remnant of my soul on this earth, I saw the sand was coming closer; the ground was coming nearer, and…?

- - -

Dark…

"Do you think she's okay? She's been out for awhile now…"

Blackness…

"I don't know, Sora. It looks like she just passed out."

Shadows…

"But she hasn't moved, she could be—!"

There's a light, just out of my reach…

"Calm down! She's breathing…well, at least I think…"

My hand's outstretched…just a little further…

"I hope you're right…"

I lunge at the light and miss… Just once more…

"Still… Who _is_ she? I can't figure out why, but she seems different."

Reaching… I can do it…

"What the—? Look at her arm!"

The glow is brighter, the darkness is fading…

"Don't touch her! I think she's trying to reach something!"

My fingers grasp the light, I pull myself out of obscurity, and—

"Riku, she's alive!"

Now, instead of a brutal wind, a soft breeze flowed soothingly across my eyelids, urging me to open them. When I did, I saw that same gleaming sun, now sinking down below the sea, a few soft waves falling onto the beach, and two unfamiliar boys sitting beside me, staring.

I jerked abruptly into a sitting position, giving them a start. The boy sitting on my right didn't seem all that taken aback; he grinned at me and said, "Hey, take it easy! You've been unconscious for at least two hours, just relax!" He eased me back down gently and added in a concerned voice, "But really, are you alright?"

My mouth was parched and dry, so when I tried to answer, all that came out was a sort of weak gurgle. While I was clearing my throat to try again, the other boy snapped, "C'mon, is that even worth asking? She's been out for two hours, can't talk, and needs _water_."

I blinked in surprise as I noticed that both of the boys' hair was unusual. One of them had grayish-blue hair that reached his shoulders while the other had brown hair that was spiked all over the place. Their clothes were kind of weird too…

"Good idea, Sora," the gray haired boy replied. He then shifted his gaze to me and said, "I'll be right back," and walked up to the nearest abandoned, seaside shack.

Being left alone with a teenager that I didn't know at all wasn't exactly my idea of fun. Still, I figured I should stay considering they _did_ found me unconscious on a deserted beach. Maybe I owed them.

"Anyway," the spiky-haired Sora said, glancing down at me with gigantic, deep blue eyes, "I'm Sora, and that was my…my _friend _Riku." He gave me time to comprehend this information and then continued. "We've lived here all our lives, and him, me and our friend Kairi always hang out together." I nodded, so he asked, "You know, how old are you? Me and Kairi are fourteen and Riku's fifteen. Just show me with your hands," Sora added when I appeared confused.

I held up all ten of my fingers and then another four. He looked satisfied.

"Here, I'm back," Riku said, handing me a small glass of water as I sat up. "Sorry I couldn't find a larger cup."

I smiled in thanks and sipped the liquid slowly. After my strange ordeal, I wanted to savor it.

They watched me somewhat eagerly as I drained the glass and placed it on the sand beside me. After clearing my throat again, I was hoarse, but at least I _could_ talk.

"Thanks. I don't know what would have happened to me if you guys hadn't found me," I said softly. Riku gave a small smile and Sora grinned widely.

"So," Riku said amusedly, "What's your name, anyway?"

"Mierielle," I answered, slightly embarrassed. A slight blush began to creep up my cheeks, and it only got worse when Riku whispered, "That's beautiful."

Shaking my head, I said, "Actually, it's not my favorite, so I have people give me nicknames. Most of the time, they range somewhere between Mieri to Elle."

Sora remained silent, but Riku queried, "Can I just call you Mierielle? Even though I haven't known you very long, you don't strike me as a 'Mieri.'"

I shrugged. "Sure, just as long as you remember it. I hate being called the wrong name."

Riku murmured, "Don't worry, I'll remember all right."

_Maybe_ I wasn't supposed to hear that…

Sora, an annoyed look on his face, asked, "Can you spell it in the sand?"

With my index finger, I wrote M-I-E-R-I-E-L-L-E in script. For some reason it looked rather bare, just written there in the sand…all alone…

While they both stared at where my fingers had been moments before, I decided to preoccupy myself by attempting to stand up. Shakily, I rose to my feet, and I knew right away that it hadn't been a good plan.

Sora tore his gaze from my name just as I stood, and he said warily, "I don't think that's such a good—!" He didn't even get a chance to finish his sentence, as I collapsed back on the ground just as the word "idea" slipped from his lips.

The world seemed like it was spinning around, and I felt lightheaded and dizzy once more. Vaguely, I made out Riku leaping up and racing towards the beach shack yet again. A blurry Sora was laying me back into a flat position, and the sunset had flipped upside-down…?

- - -

Cold…it pressed onto me on all sides… I felt the chill spread like a deadly disease all over my body. Warmth was nonexistent… There was no sun for me to bathe in at this level of darkness.

I had sunk too deep; there was no turning back…

"Mierielle?"

The shadows parted and gathered at the corners of my eyes. Gradually, I opened them only to find myself in a spacious, unfamiliar house. Automatically the first thing I thought was, _I want to go home_…

"Does she normally do this?"

At that remark, I turned my head to see who had spoken. It was Sora, standing in the shadowy doorway leading from the living room to the kitchen. He was talking to my father, who was sitting on a lounge chair across from me.

"Good, you're finally awake," said my dad, leaning forward over the gap separating us and holding his hand to my forehead. The moment he touched my skin, I felt a shiver run up my body, and he recoiled in confusion. "Strange…" my father murmured. He seemed to come to the conclusion that I was alright though, so he rose and walked to the doorway, where Sora was craning his neck to get a better look at me.

"Thank you very much for taking care of my daughter," he stated, shaking Sora's hand.

The spiky-haired boy nodded and glanced at me, "I'll see you around," said Sora, and he let himself out through the side door, which shut with a creak behind him.

I got to my feet, cautiously this time, and found to my relief that I didn't become faint. About to climb the stairs to my new bedroom, my dad called me back, saying, "Mierielle! I need to talk to you for a minute."

My arm resting on the banister, I asked, "What is it?"

He shook his head slightly, and I noticed that his scarce brown hair was showing even more strands of gray than usual. More lines had weaved themselves along his face, and the shadows under his deep brown eyes, that were so much like mine, had intensified. "That boy Sora told me pretty much all that happened: that he and his friend found you passed out on the shore, they woke you, and then you fainted again." My father paused and the silence felt thick and dusty between us. "Did he happen to…you know, leave anything out? Like, maybe things that he didn't know about?" At my puzzled expression, he said, "Okay, here's an example: Why did you pass out? Do you remember?"

I thought back to my strange experience on the beach… I recalled that the wind was strong, so strong that it hurt… Also, how I had been wishing that I could get out of this new place and go home.

But after that…?

"No, Dad," I reassured him, ascending the stairs, "He didn't leave anything out."

I couldn't help but notice the suspicious look he gave me as I turned and strode down the hall to my new bedroom.


	2. Shards of Glass

A few of the slender, yellow rays of the early morning sun made it past the light blue curtain that was sheltering me from the unfamiliar world outside. They illuminated the shiny, polished dresser and bedside table and my many scented candles, trophies, and glass globes. It threw my face into the light, causing me to wake up slowly and uncomfortably.

I made a sort of groaning sound and rolled over towards the dim section of the room. Of course, since I was now awake, I couldn't fall back asleep; with a sigh, I pulled back the patchwork quilt that had been handmade by my mother and swung my legs out of bed. Still half-asleep, I stumbled around to make the bed and then went to take a refreshing shower.

As the hot water ran over me, I began to feel more stimulated and energized. _Maybe this day won't be so bad after all_, I thought hopefully, turning off the water and pulling on my clothes. After applying the little makeup that I wore, I sprinted down the stairs and entered the kitchen, hoping there would be something good to eat.

My dad wasn't there, and I felt instinctively worried. _He's probably still sleeping. It _has_ been a long week_.

I pulled open the refrigerator door to discover that there was no food at all! Exasperation clouding my brain, I searched all the cabinets and found nothing but pots, pans, utensils, and plates. That's when I noticed a note taped to one of the chipped white chairs:

_Mierielle, _

_I'm going out to search for job opportunities. I've heard good things about this town's economy!_

_I'll be out until around dinner. Occupy yourself until I get back…But please, don't go down to the beach without me to accompany you. I don't want a repeat of yesterday's episode._

_-Dad_

In frustration, I crumpled up the letter and threw it into the trash can. "He didn't even _say _anything about food!" I muttered under my breath, feeling my stomach rumble.

I ran back up to the second floor to grab my purse and count the money inside. Luckily, I had a lot, most of which I had been saving since the age of nine; this totaled to about four-hundred dollars!

With a small smile, I tied up my waist-length hair into a long ponytail, grabbed my purse, and went out, in search of food.

Since we lived on the side of the island where houses were rather scarce, I assumed that it would take about twenty minutes to find a café or restaurant at the center of town. Sighing, I began to walk on the extensive, winding brick path.

Even though I didn't like the world in general, I couldn't help but appreciate all the beautiful flowers and other exotic things. This kind of atmosphere was one that I had never experienced as a place to live, only as a vacation area. A clear blue sky lightened my spirits a bit and a warm breeze, much unlike the wind of yesterday, blew the few loose threads of hair out of my eyes.

I noticed that the houses seemed to be becoming smaller and more crowded together, and I realized that I was nearing the town. Since it was still early morning, not many people were out, and I felt the usual surge of loneliness overtake me.

The first café I spotted was located just to my left. The sign located on top if it read, "The Destiny Islands Coffee Shop: Serving for Over Fifty Years."

With little apprehension, I stepped inside.

Steamy air and a strong smell of coffee greeted me as I glanced around the small, but kind of cozy, shop. Two rather tired, but happy, looking employees were working behind the counter and a row of round, stained tables were seats to a surprising number of people. I glanced at what the café had to offer, and I decided to buy a small hot chocolate and a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant. When it was my turn to order, I opened my mouth to state what I wanted when a familiar voice called my name.

"Mierielle," said Riku, making his way over to me. He smiled and then turned to the woman waiting behind the spotless silver counter. "Whatever she wants is on me."

My eyes widened and I said, clutching my purse, "Oh no, it's alright, Riku, I can pay—!"

He stared pointedly at me and handed the lady an unfamiliar looking currency. "Get what you want and meet me outside," he whispered to me, and hurried out the door.

Still shaking my head in confusion when I received my food, I placed it all in a bag that the employee had offered me and strode outside.

"So, how's it going?" he asked me as I joined him. His light gray hair blew slightly in the wind, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable with his piercing blue eyes staring straight into mine; I felt as though he could see into my soul…

"I'm fine, thanks," I replied coolly, adjusting the bag in my hand. "What brings you out here this early?" I began to walk back along the route to my house.

He kept in pace with me, saying back, "I always come out here at this time of day." He glanced sideways at me and added, "I like it because there's no one here. Some time's it's nice to be alone."

I thought carefully about his answer, and a strangely relaxed silence fell between us. "Well," I finally said, "I like to be alone too. It's nice to take a step back from it all and let your mind wander." Blushing slightly, I put in hastily, "But that's just how I think…"

Riku stopped suddenly, and so did I when I realized he was no longer beside me. "What's wrong?" I asked tentatively, wondering if I had touched on a painful subject.

At that moment, he looked slightly eerie…almost haunted. The near-by ocean waves echoed in our ears and the soft calling of a bird to its mate carried in the wind. There he stood, a ghost of the past enveloping his appearance… He was outlined by the sea behind him and the cloudless morning sky, and his intense eyes remained focused on my face.

"You just about summed up everything I feel," Riku finally said, grinning vaguely. He grasped my hand and squeezed it. "Thanks."

Too surprised to do anything, I didn't react to this gesture. Instead, I felt my lips curve into a small smile, and before I knew it, he was gone.

- - -

Later, after I had at last eaten my breakfast, I decided to explore the house, since I hadn't yet had a chance to do so. Starting with the upstairs, I managed to find a small door that had been hidden behind my dresser; I was disappointed when I found there was a large, rusty lock on the handle. Undaunted, I continued to investigate, scouring everywhere from my father's bedroom to the downstairs bathroom. There was unfortunately nothing else of real interest, and I gave up an hour afterward.

As I sat on one of the lounge chairs in the living room, looking around lazily, I noticed that one of the many bricks that made up the walls was a different color than the rest. With curiosity building in my chest, I stood and went to examine it.

It was located just above a long, brown mantle that had been adorned with many pictures of my deceased mother. I made a strong effort to ignore the photographs, instead focusing all my attention on the brick. An unexpected emotion of anxiety overtook me, and I wondered, _Is this a sign? Mom, are you calling me?_

I shook my head roughly to clear away those thoughts. Even though I'd had strange feelings of premonitions before, they never _really _turned out to be true. I was probably just being paranoid.

Deep in thought, I reached out and pressed the brick.

I screamed as the mantle suddenly fell on one side, causing all the pictures to slide off and shatter on the ground. Glass spilled everywhere, and empty frames went skidding across the wooden floor. A sharp pain shot up through my foot as some of the glass stabbed me, and a tinge of red was added to the mess below.

Gasping for breath, I took a wary step backward and instantly made contact with a few scattered blades. My unprotected foot bled even more.

_Oh my god_, I thought in alarm, _what is Dad going to say? These are his most prized possessions! He's going to hate me forever! _

The happy mood that I'd had since meeting Riku that morning instantly dissolving, I found that I was surrounded by a pool of jagged glass. How was I supposed to get out unscathed?

Figuring that was impossible, I made as best an effort as I could to get out of the little island I had made for myself. Though when I had finally stepped back into the kitchen both my feet were scarlet and blood-spattered, I was otherwise unharmed. In the sink, I washed them as best I could, and I bit down on my lip to keep from yelling in pain from the soap's sting.

When I had finished cleaning myself up, I hurried up the stairs and put on my shoes, hoping to shield myself from the sharp edges. Then I succeeded in finding a vacuum cleaner hidden in one of the laundry room closets. Sighing, I wiped all the glass away and threw it into the trash. To finish my job, I retrieved the photographs and placed them gently on the shelf in my father's room, hoping that I wouldn't be punished too badly.

By the time I was done, it was noon. Trying to ignore the pains of hunger inside me, I walked outside and sat on a large rock situated in front of our house. Since I was forbidden to go to the beach, had no food, and had money that was completely worthless, what else was I supposed to do?

It wasn't long before someone noticed me.

"Oh, hello," said a girl's voice from behind me, and I turned around to face her. "You must be Mierielle."

Cautiously, I nodded, not knowing who the heck this person was.

She grinned and giggled, "I'm Kairi. Sora and Riku told me all about you." She held out a small, pale hand.

Still unsure at exactly who she was, I shook it. Then I remembered what Sora had told me yesterday:

"_We've lived here all our lives, and him, me and our friend Kairi always hang out together."_

"Oh, that's right," I said to her, "Sora _did_ tell me a little about you. Sorry."

She nodded, not slighted in the least. I noticed in envy that her hair was short and a dark reddish color: what I'd always wished mine was like. Feeling slightly disgusted, I glanced over her clothes, which consisted of a sleeveless white and black shirt and a really short lavender skirt... Basically, I wasn't impressed.

Kairi asked me in that sugar-sweet tone of hers, "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

Putting fake enthusiasm in my voice, I answered, "Well, I like to look at the ocean, you know? It's not like I've ever lived near one." Clutching my stomach, I added, "Well… I also have no food in the house at all and I'm starved."

Sympathy that instantaneously made me want to strangle her crowded her deep blue eyes, which weirdly resembled Sora's. "Aw, do you want to come to my house? Sora and Riku are over there right now. We haven't eaten yet either. You're welcome to join us."

A vision of me smacking her and screaming, "_I hate you and I refuse to go anywhere near you or your house for eternity_!" made me laugh slightly, but in the end I responded, "Thanks. Going to your house would be great."


	3. The Ties That Bind

Kairi and I walked down the same brick path, but in the opposite direction, to get to her house. Along the way, she chattered nonstop, only allowing me to speak once or twice. I didn't really mind, though. My mind had been made up: No matter what she said or did in the future, I would always consider her an idiot.

As we got closer, the scenery became ragged and dry. Trees that would have otherwise been tall and intimidating looked lank and bare, as their rotten leaves had all fallen to the arid ground prematurely. Thick, tangled weeds strangled flowers that would have otherwise been pretty, and long rows of what had once been hedge walls had been reduced to gnarled twigs. Even the sky appeared darker and gloomier, and storm clouds assembled over the broad sea.

"Here we are," Kairi said, cutting herself off in mid-sentence. I tore my eyes away from the devastated landscape and gasped at the house we were currently standing in front of:

It seemed to go up forever…on and on until it touched the dull gray sky. It was a gigantic mansion, and it looked strangely beautiful with the tattered countryside as its backdrop. The style in which it had been designed was oddly Victorian, and the mansion's colors were bizarrely conservative, as they were a dull beige and white.

"Wow," was all I could say, and after Kairi giggled in that annoying way of hers, we walked up the stone path leading up to it, opened the tall maple door, and stepped inside.

A large, cavernous entrance hall greeted us; many archways led off to different rooms of the house, and a grand staircase continued up to a second floor. Rich brown wood ran across the whole floor and the walls were painted a pale, light blue. I was speechless at it all…until I noticed the artwork!

It was literally everywhere. I couldn't look to any one corner and not see at least one masterpiece. Ranging from mysterious paintings to miserable-looking stone sculptures, I stumbled around to look at it all in awe. One minute I was gazing at a colorful portrait, the next I was fingering a transparent glass statue. It took my breath away!

Kairi watched me that whole time, but I barely noticed her. _When someone's house is more interesting and complex than the person who lives there_, I thought, _you know that they have a serious problem._

It wasn't until I had reached a small painting on the far side of the room that I stopped completely. My mouth dropping open, I gaped at it, thousands of confused thoughts swirling through my mind.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked, approaching me from behind.

I whirled around and said breathlessly, "You…" I trailed away, unable to find the words.

Kairi looked around me to see what image I had been staring at. "Oh, that," she said, waving her hand, "That was just some woman my dad met a long time ago. They…" She stopped short, and I noticed that she seemed to be trembling.

I wanted to comfort her, but I didn't know how… or _maybe_ I didn't even really want to…

"Yeah, sorry," she said, suddenly standing up straighter. "Well…my dad had an affair with that woman just after I was born. My mom left him, and then we got transported here somehow." Kairi looked directly into my eyes and whispered, "I don't even remember where I came from…and I don't know how my dad and I got here…" She turned and began to pace along the floor. "Did you know that it's impossible to go back to where you came from?"

I hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"Well, once you leave a world, you can't go back."

Horrified, I said, "What are you talking about? I can go back and visit anytime I like. I have friends waiting for me. I have a _life_ waiting for me."

Kairi brought herself to a standstill and said sadly, "You can't go back. It's impossible."

Angry now, I snapped, "No it's not! My dad _promised _we would go back. We left that country because of a direct threat to our family, because we had an enemy invasion. We're going back once the war dies down."

She shook her head, a disbelieving smile creeping up her face, "Sorry, Mierielle, but you're stuck. I can't even _remember_ the world I came from, and I left when I was eight. You'd think I'd remember at_ least_ a small detail from my first eight years, but no! My memory's wiped away…and yours will be too."

"Look, cut it out, okay? I don't need you ruining my stay here…and yes: I said 'my stay!'" I added as she began to speak. "Oh yeah, by the way… Why do you keep using the term 'worlds?' We all live in different countries!"

"No, we don't!" Kairi retorted, her cool, sweet composure finally crumbling away. "Don't you know anything? The worlds aren't connected! We can't go back! _You_ can't go back!"

"Actually," I yelled, trying to ignore the echoes of our voices bouncing off the walls, "I think I know far more than you—!"

"NO, YOU DON'T!" she screamed at me, her deep red hair that I so admired dangling around her pale complexion.

"YES, I DO!"

"NO YOU DON'T!"

Trying to calm myself down I responded, "Look, just do us all a favor and—!"

"LISTEN TO ME!"

Giving up on peace and tranquility completely, I yelled, "STOP BEING A PESSIMISTIC IDIOT!"

"NO! I CAN BE WHOEVER I WANT TO BE!"

"HEY—!"

"I _HATE_ YOU!"

Mustering all the voice I had left, I screeched, "THE FEELING'S MUTUAL!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!"

We both turned around at the same time to see Riku and Sora striding towards us. Riku grabbed me from behind and Sora did the same to Kairi, so to keep us from ripping each other apart. My face was flushed with anger, and so was Kairi's…to a more extreme level.

For a moment, all of us just stood there silently by the picture that had caused it all. Unfortunately, I still had to face it; I glared hatefully not only at Kairi, but at my mother's features, staring down at me from the picture, as well.

"So," Sora said, breaking the time in which we had all calmed down. "What exactly caused this anyway?"

Riku groaned as Kairi and I both burst out loudly at the same time, each of us throwing different accusations. The noise got to such a level that Riku had to yell over us, "STOP!"

My ear throbbing from his yell directly into it, I cut my allegations short. Kairi, however, kept her words flying:

"So then she yells at me that she knows more than me, and so I'm just standing there feeling terrible, so I yell back that I know more about the worlds than she does, and she doesn't believe me and then she keeps screaming at me and I feel so bad for her until she yells 'I hate you' and it's just a normal reaction for me to yell back 'the feeling's mutual' and then you guys burst in and stopped it and I'm really grateful; I probably couldn't have taken that for much longer!"

When Kairi finally became quiet, Sora still holding her back, I said softly, "That's not what I said. That's not what happened."

Riku, his hands still grasping my wrists from behind, asked, "Then what did?"

An expression of disgust on her face, Kairi cried, "What! You actually _believe_ her?" I saw Sora tighten his grip on her arms, a grim smile on his face.

I couldn't see if Riku nodded or not, but he said, "Let her tell her side of the story. We've already heard yours." He nudged me to begin, and the whole thing poured out of my mouth, beginning with when I first saw the picture to when they had separated us.

When I at long last became silent, Sora asked confusedly, "But…what did the picture mean in the first place?" Not letting go of Kairi, who was glaring vengefully at me, he gazed at the portrait, his spiky brown hair just grazing the top of it. "Do you know that woman somehow?"

I stared long and hard at the floor.

When I hadn't answered the question, or even spoken, for about a minute, Riku released me and came around to stand in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sora edging himself and Kairi around so he could see and hear what was going on.

I felt fingers lifting my chin up, and when I let them I found myself staring up at Riku. Avoiding his gaze, he asked me suddenly, "Are you crying?"

"No," I answered automatically, even though I knew I was about to. I removed his hand from out underneath my chin and backed up until I was hidden in the shadows of the staircase.

Once again, our silence filled the spacious hall, and Kairi's and my echoes had long since died away. When Riku tried to come within reach of me yet again, I burst out, "I know the woman in the picture!"

He stopped dead and Kairi straightened up, appearing newly interested. Sora asked rather bluntly, "Well, who is it?"

Riku glared at him piercingly, and I took that moment to wipe my eyes. When I had everyone's attention again, I whispered, "That woman…she's my mother."

They all just stared at me, eyes wide and mouths open. Fed up, I tried to skirt around Riku, who was standing closest to the door, so I could go home and be alone. I had reached the doorknob and put my hand on it when I froze, realizing that going back to the house wouldn't accomplish anything, as I'd be starved and lonely.

From behind me, I heard footsteps, which meant that Sora, Kairi, and Riku had finally come out of their temporary dazes. It sounded like Kairi was murmuring something to the two boys, and then I heard pounding feet on the wooden floor as someone started to run toward me.

"Hey, what the—?"

"Kairi, _no_!"

Before I was even able to turn around, I was hit sharply over the head, and for the third time in two days, I had fallen to the ground.


	4. Alone in the Dark

I felt dazed and weak from the blow, so I barely noticed as Kairi burst into tears and raced up the long staircase to the second floor. Feebly, I turned my head in that general direction to see Riku call out her name again and Sora running up the stairs after her…

Falling backwards, I noticed that darkness was descending in the room… _Wow, it's nightfall already_, I thought lazily and thousands of stars twinkled above my head. _If only I could reach one_…

"Mierielle…"

_The stars are talking to me_…?

"Mierielle!"

_They're getting louder_..._ Hello, can you hear me_?

"Hey, are you even conscious?"

The stars grew brighter, dazzling my tired eyes; the shadows of the night lengthened, causing the rest of the world to fade…

"I'm getting help…"

_What_?The stars were dimming and their voice was leaving me..._ Don't go_!

Silence…

_Help me_!_ I'm alone in the gloom now_..._all alone_...

By now the once brilliantly bright spots of light were just mere pinpricks in the darkness… _Where had they gone_?

_Don't leave me_! I screamed into the blackness. "Don't leave me!"

The final sheets of obscurity spiraled down to rest on top of me, and I had disintegrated away once more…

- - -

"Wake up!"

"Wake up, Mierielle!"

I opened my eyes slowly to find a large mass of deep blue right in my face. Screaming, I fought to get away from it and ended up rolling off to the other side of the room, where I crashed into a small statue of a man that broke as soon as it hit the floorboards; its head went spinning and hit Riku in the foot.

"Sora! What did you do that for?" he barked at the cowering figure that was on the floor behind him. With a slight look of repulsion, Riku made his way over and knelt down beside me. "Are you okay?"

A slash of sympathy cut across my heart, and I felt overwhelming pity for Sora as he rose from the ground, cheeks ablaze. Even though he had half scared me out of my mind, I _guess_ he hadbeen trying to help.

"I'm fine," I retorted, ignoring the hand that Riku offered me. Attempting my best to ignore the rather hurt expression on his face, I stood and wiped away the few remnants of tears from my eyes. "What happened?"

Sora began to speak but he was cut off by Riku as soon as he opened his mouth. "Well, to keep a long story short, Kairi didn't exactly react well to the fact that your mother had an affair with her father. Also—"

"C'mon, Riku," said Sora coldly, striding over to stand next to me. "You don't have to say the obvious. I bet Mierielle's a lot smarter than you give her credit for."

My eyebrows rose, but I kept my mouth shut. This was getting interesting…

"I never said that she wasn't smart," he replied icily, and even though he was speaking to Sora, his eyes remained fixed on me.

Shaking his head so that his spikes gleamed, the boy next to me insisted, "That's not the point; no one would be happy if their dad had an affair with another girl's mom…especially a girl from another world." He smiled wryly and said, "Who would? Anyway, I think the reason Kairi's _really_ jealous is because Mierielle can remember everything about her old world, while Kairi can't. Maybe it makes her feel inferior, you know?"

I raised my eyebrow at this detailed explanation, especially since it was coming from _Sora_ of all people. It had been more of the thing I would have expected Riku to say. Quietly, I said, "You've been thinking a lot about this, haven't you…"

Riku just stood there in pondering silence, his forehead screwed up in thought, no longer watching me. The walls I had built around me in order to keep my feelings from emerging began to crumble as an unanticipated thought slipped into my mind: _I wish he was still staring at me_…

I blinked and snapped out of it. "I guess I can only pass out so many times before insanity starts to kick in…"

That random comment broke the brooding stillness and Riku genuinely laughed, sending an unfamiliar chill up my spine, or at least one I hadn't felt in a long time. Sora grinned uncertainly and asked curiously, "What made you think of that?"

Riku stopped laughing and I froze.

"Well? Go on."

In a state of extreme hunger and worry, I burst out the first thing that came to mind, "I'm so hungry!"

That's when I went overboard.

"I haven't eaten since early this morning and now it's four in the afternoon and I've got no food in my house and no money and my dad's gone and I smashed a picture of my mom and there was blood all over the floor and I didn't get enough sleep and my dad doesn't trust me enough to let me go down to the beach, which is my favorite place and…" At their concerned expressions, the steadily piling emotions that had been threatening to fall all day crashed down around me, and I exploded into tears, much unlike the silent crying of before. Through the deluge, I made out a moment's hesitation between the two, and I took advantage of it.

Ignoring their yells of "Come back!" and "Wait," I fled.

Before I knew it, I had slammed the large front door in Riku's face, sprinted past the tattered countryside, and continued to race down the brick road, never looking back.

I don't think I'd ever run that fast in my entire life.

- - -

Hours later, as I was sulking in my new bedroom, staring hatefully out at the beautiful ocean, my father returned.

When I heard my name being called up the stairwell, I could barely summon enough energy to stand and descend to the kitchen where he awaited. After seeing what filled up the room, I was glad I did.

Numerous shopping bags were piled in his arms, hiding his face, and many more were spread across the ground. Bewildered, I sat in the last empty chair and said mouth-wateringly, "What's for dinner?"

I couldn't see what his reaction to this question was, but my dad managed to mumble, "Help."

Quickly, he and I unloaded the many bags and ended up stocking the cabinets and refrigerator full. After I set the table and provided placemats, we sat on either side of it, both of us hoping that somehow our plates would fill up without any work to be done.

"Well?" I asked.

With a sigh, he stood and grumbled, "Let's have something simple tonight, alright? Not a lot of work, please…"

The hunger inside of me had reached its point, and I snapped, "It's not like you've been home all day starving to death."

"_Please_, Mierielle. I thought you'd be strong enough to withstand a day without food."

I gaped at him and shook my head angrily, wondering how on earth he had turned the blame on me. When he set a sandwich down in front of me, I ate it up before he even had a chance to sit down.

"_That's_ how hungry I was," I said icily, and I stalked quickly up to my room.


End file.
